Counterbalance weight



July 14, 1931. 1

N. STEVELMAN COUNTERBALANCE WEIGHT Filed May 8, 1929 INVENTOR, fl Z mn 5Zeualmm 'ATTORN Y Patented July 14, 1931 UNI-TED ssr-Arns P fQFFil CE NATEANBSTEYEBMLNQQF.ITEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR or oNnHALn ro sonoiuon GOLUB, or nnwxonx n. Y., 1.

COUNTERBALANGE. WEIGHT Application filed May 8, 1929. I Serial No. 361,365.

This invention relates to counterbalance movement"longitudinal-1y thereof. The inweights and particularly to devices of this class of the type employed in conjunction with lifts of various kinds and classes such for example as elevators, dumbwaiters and the like; and the object of the invention is to provide a weight of the class specified with means for preventing the binding of the weight in the guide rails provided therefor so as to permit the free and easy movement of the weight longitudinally of said rails and to avoid interference with the smooth and easy operation of the lift, especially to the extent which it is traveled by said weight; and with these and other objects in View, the invention consists in a balance weight of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, efficient in use and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part; in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing part of the guide rails of a dumbwaiter or other lift and illustrating one of my improved balance weights mounted in connection therewith. I

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2-2 of Ejg; 1.

Fig... 3 is a longitudinal, sectional View through "one side of the weight with part of the construction broken away; and,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing only a part of the construction and showing a modification.

As stated, my invention may be employed in connection with lifts of various kinds and classes and for the purposes of illustrating one use of my invention, I haveshown the same applied to a dumbwaiter lift. In Fig. 1, 5 and 5a represent the guide rails which are secured to one wall of the shaft or passage in which the lift is movable. At 6, I haveindi cated a dumbwaiter having flanges or shoes 7 at opposite sides thereof engaging flanges 8 on the rails 55a to guide the lift in itsbalance weight '11 are adapted to operate.

ner adjacent faces of the rails 5- are provided-withgrooves 9. in which projecting tongues 10-1066 on the opposite sides-of a v The weight- 11 is placed in operative engagement with the lift 6 through aropeor cable 12 in the usual manner, the weight 11 being sufli'cient to counterbalance the capacity Weight of the liftso as to providefor thef-r-ee movement of the lift upwardly and downwardly over the rails 5 and 5a. i

' The weight 11 may be of any desiredform and construction and is usually made of cast metal. This weight, as usually constructed, hastwointegral guide tongues such as-"the tongue 10a',-but in carrying my invention into effect the weight is modified by providing a recess-13 at one side of the weight and'mountingthemovable tongue 10 in saidre'cess and providing a plurality of springs 14 in the recess to normally move the tongue outwardly with respectto said recess. The tongue-'10 includes upwardly anddownwardly directed V, lugs 15, and-keepers 116- are securedto the top"7'5= andbottom'face's of the-weightand'include flange portions 16a which extend onto theside walls of the -'weight to engage the lugs 15 to limit the-outward movementof'thetongue 10, I The inner face-of the tongue LO-is provided; so with a plurality of pins 17011 which are mountedsprings 18whi'ch normallyserve to support the tongue inextended position.

' In Fig. 4 bffthe drawings, I have shown a slight" modification wherein I have substituted f0r the pins 17 andsprings'18,;a plurality of arc-shaped fiat springs 19 s-ecured to the-inner faces of the tongues 10' as seen at 20. I

From'theflforegoingfit will be understood that in the use o'fthe'weight, sufficient clearance will be providedbetween the side walls of the' weight 11 and the adjacent walls of the rails 5'10 as clearly seen in Fig.2 of the: drawings. "The weight will be guided in the rails by the tongues 1010a, the tongue 10 permitting the free andeasymovement of "the weight longitudinally of the guide rails ane'l 'compensating for 'any unevenness in the rail s'pread-or i nthe distance btween -the grooves 9 on adjacent faces of said rails. In this way, a free and easy action of the lift especially with respect to the weight function is provided, eliminating a difficulty which has been experienced in various types 'of lifts and particularly in dumbwaiter construction where the jamming of the counterbalance weight in the rails has rendered the dumbwaiter inoperative.

It will be understood that while I have shown certain details of construction for carrying my invention into eflfect, that I am y not necessarily limited to these details nor toguide flange arranged longitudinally of one side edge thereof, the other side edge of said weight having a longitudinal recess and an elongated flange strip mounted in said recess and of a length substantially equal to the longitudinal dimensions of the weight, a portion of said strip projecting beyond said side edge of the weight to form a guide flange, and resilient means within said recess and cooperating with said strip to normally support the same in extended and operative position.

2. A counterbalance weight for lifts of the class described, said weight having a guide flange arranged longitudinally of one side edge thereof, the other side edge of said Weight having a. longitudinal recess and an elongated flange strip mounted in said recess and of a length substantially equal to the longitudinal dimensions of the weight, a portion of said strip projecting beyond said side edge of the weight to form a guide flange, resilient means within said recess and cooperating with said strip to normally support the same in extended and operative position, and means for limiting the outward movement of said strip with respect to said side edge of the weight.

3. A counterbalance weight for lifts of the class described, said weight having a guide flange arranged longitudinally of one side edge thereof, the other side edge of said weight having a longitudinal recess and an elongated flange strip mounted in said recess and of a length substantially" equal to the longitudinal dimensions of the weight a portion of said strip projecting beyond said side edge of the weight to form a guide flange, resilient means within said recess and cooperating with said strip to normally support the same in extended and operativeposition, and 

